January 11, 2012: We've scoured the Web to find the best and most compelling animal stories, videos and photos. And it's all right here.

Business Wire

Frenchie Mr. Quiggly stars in this year's Skechers Super Bowl ad.

Bulldog Beats Out Kim Kardashian for Skechers Super Bowl Gig

Move over, Kim Kardashian. This year, French Bulldog Mr. Quiggly (and his costar, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban) will have the starring role in the Super Bowl commercial for Skechers sneakers.

Kardashian heated up the screen last year in a rather steamy ad for the athletic shoe company — and this year's spot isn't without controversy, either. One animal rights group, Grey2K USA, claims the Greyhounds who race the bulldog in the ad were mistreated during filming, but the Humane Society says no animals were harmed. — Read it at USA Today

Seal Pups Rescued Following Fierce Storms in England

Hurricane-force winds have battered seal pups in parts of the U.K. Many of the seals were found on beaches and rocks — and dozens are being treated at animal welfare centers. — See the photos at Discovery News

Lion Stares Down a Toddler at a New Zealand Zoo

Sofia Walker’s parents sure must be thankful for one really sturdy glass wall at the Wellington Zoo in New Zealand — it was the only thing standing between their 3-year-old daughter and a lion who lunged at her during a recent visit. Her parents caught the whole encounter on video. — Watch it at the Huffington Post

CBS News

Kayaker Saves an Injured Dog Treading Florida Waters

In a sad tale with a silver lining, a kayaker who was paddling off Siesta Key in Florida found a Vizsla swimming offshore, clearly in distress. He lifted the dog into his boat and took him to a vet. Thanks to Barney’s microchip, vets determined that the dog had been jogging with his owner when she was struck and killed by a car. Authorities believe the scared dog ran about a mile to the beach and started swimming. — Watch it at CBS News

Wild Horses at Center of Controversy Out West

The wife of an oil billionaire has spent millions trying to build a mustang sanctuary on federal land, but ranchers who raise cattle on the land are fighting her efforts. — Watch it at CBS via Yahoo

Rare White Penguin Spotted in Antarctica

A naturalist aboard the National Geographic Explorer snapped a photo of a rare white Chinstrap penguin. "This bird was whitish, but not quite an albino,” David Stephens wrote in a blog post. “Instead, it had pigmented eyes and a washed-out version of a Chinstrap’s normal pattern.” — See the photo at Today

Exotic Animal Businesses Face Tighter Laws

People who breed and sell exotics are in the spotlight as activists work to get tougher restrictions in place following an Ohio incident last fall in which the owner of 49 exotic animals released them before taking his own life. — Read it at the New York Times